By Shanetta Blackman
The other day I stood in my kitchen and watched my babies make lemonade. Slicing lemons, muddling, pouring, tasting, laughing. Such a small moment. But I stood there with tears in my eyes, because I realized: this is full circle.
Let me tell you how I got here.
I was a watcher as a child. I would sit quiet in a room full of grown folks, soaking in everything. My childhood was heavy in ways I didn't have words for yet. But God kept placing light in my path. My grandfather was my safe place. My Aunt Troy took me under her wing and showed me God when I needed Him most. My Aunt Jeanette put me on a plane to St. Maarten and showed me the world was bigger than my block and bigger than my pain.
Then I became a mother. Five beautiful children, my kings and queens. I was raising them while still healing the little girl inside me. I gave from emptiness until I learned to fill my own cup.
When my mother passed, grief nearly took me out. I moved through life like a shadow of myself. But in the darkest hours I started talking to God, not always politely. Sometimes it was a scream. Sometimes a whisper. And He pulled me through.
Somewhere in all of that, I started writing. Heaven on Earth poured out of me. It was raw. It pulled up memories I tried to forget. But it was necessary, not just for me, but for every woman wondering if healing is possible while she's still carrying so much.
And here's what I've learned: God never wastes a moment. Every joy, every loss, every detour, every "no" that broke me, it all had purpose. The pain that almost crushed me became the soil for my growth.
That's where When Life Gives You Lemons was born. Not in a boardroom. Not in a business plan. In my kitchen. In my journal. In the little moments.
Lemons with a purpose. That's not just a cute phrase, it's my testimony. Every candle I pour, every shirt I press, every book I sign carries the same message: when life gives you lemons, turn them into purpose.
So this blog is my kitchen table. Pull up a chair. I'll be sharing the lessons, the rituals, the real-life moments, and the faith that keeps me going. Some posts will make you laugh. Some might make you cry. All of them will be honest.
You are not too far gone. You are not too broken. You are not too late. You are becoming.
With love, Shanetta
Want to carry the message with you? Browse the collection: our signature Lemon Lavender & White Tea candles, the "Turn It Into Purpose" tees, and my memoir Heaven on Earth.